Learn how content appears in Google Search

Google Search can enable a rich set of features for your page in search results if it understands the content of the page and, in some circumstances, if you explicitly provide additional information in the page code using structured data. These features fall into two general categories:

Content type: Many search features are tied to the topic of your page. For example, if the page has a recipe or a news article, or contains information about an event or a book. Google Search results can then apply content-specific features such as making your page eligible to appear in a top news stories carousel, a recipe carousel, or an events list.

Enhancements: These are features that, can be applied to more than one kind of content type. For example, providing review stars for a recipe or movie, or exposing a carousel of rich results.

There is no guarantee that your page will appear in Search results with the specified feature. This is because search features depend on many factors, including the search device type, location, and whether Google thinks the feature would provide the best search experience for the user.

Google Search has a few general types of search result categories. Most features apply to specific categories.

Search result categories

Basic result: Often called "plain blue links". An example of enhancements
that appear in this category of result is breadcrumb (shown).

Rich result: A result that includes styling, images, and other features.
Examples of content types with rich results include
book (shown),
recipe, and
product. Examples of features include
breadcrumb and review snippet.

Knowledge Graph result: A compilation of information
from one or more pages, displayed in a visual layout similar to a rich result. It can be
difficult to distinguish visually between a rich result and a Knowledge Graph result.
Knowledge Graph results can include identity (logo, preferred site name, social profile links).
The Knowledge Graph can potentially ingest data using any schema.org elements, even
those not described in this documentation.

Carousel: A container for multiple rich results of the same type on your site. Google Search can also automatically create carousels of similar type items from different sites in search results.

Implementing search features

Search features are typically implemented using structured data. Read the introduction to structured data to learn the standard guidelines required by Google Search, then read the specific guidelines for your content type and any enhancements.

Supported combinations

Start by adding structured data appropriate for your page content, and then optionally add additional enhancements or features. Some enhancements can work only with specific content types. The following table shows which enhancements are supported for content types or formats.

Carousel (Not available for preferred site name, logo, or corporate contact info)

Other structured data: You can add additional schema.org
structured data elements to your pages to help Google understand the purpose and content of the page.
Structured data can help Google properly classify your page in search results, and also make your page
eligible for future search result features.